Pak arrests six Indian fishermen

Pakistani authorities have apprehended six Indian fishermen and seized their two boats for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's waters.

Pakistani authorities have apprehended six Indian fishermen and seized their two boats for allegedly fishing illegally in the country's waters.

The fishermen were arrested yesterday by the Maritime Security Agency on charges of intruding into Pakistan's exclusive economic zone, an official statement said on Thursday.

The fishermen are being interrogated by security agencies "to establish their exact identity and intent for operating" in Pakistan's waters, it said.

The statement said that Indian fishermen had been "warned time and again not to violate" Pakistan's maritime boundary but they continued to do so to exploit the country's marine-rich Indus Delta region.

India and Pakistan arrest dozens of fishermen every year for violating each other's maritime boundaries and many of them languish in jail for years.

A total of 570 Indian nationals, including 510 fishermen, are currently in Pakistani jails, according to information recently provided to Parliament.